Monday, October 14, 2013

I listen to various podcasts that range in topics from economics, religion, social issues and fiction. One that I have unsubscribed from, because I could not keep up with it, would have a speaker who'd recirculate in every so often and she'd mention the Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She would describe talking with her and one of her quotes was, "Love Christ more." Feeding the hungry and healing the sick is great and everything, but more importantly, we need to love Christ more.

Last week, the Catholic homily and the Presbyterian sermon we heard last week had something in common. They were about loving Christ. The homily went along the lines it isn't you do bad things you go to Hell, you do good, you go to Heaven. Rather, you love Christ, you go to be with him. And he just happens to be in Heaven. The good you do is because you love him.

I still believe in a Baptist Hell. Fire, brimstone, gnashing teeth, all that. It is hard to shake. I also hold this with an image of CS Lewis' country in the Great Divorce, where the Grey Town is but a speck of dirt on the ground of far Heaven. A firey, brimstony speck of dirt where our sins weigh us down further into the speck. It is where our sins make it difficult to go to G-d, and cling to us and define us. I'd been an Episcopalian long enough to hear the theory that Hell is empty and we all go to heaven. Yay! Yes, let's totally ignore Matt 7:23; Matt 25:41 and some other things. But hey, we're Christians, known for focusing on one thing (snakehandlers, Pentecostals) and ignoring a bunch of other things (every branch that considers wine evil).

I've had a messy relationship with Christ, so I'm not too sure that I won't be refused at the door when I knock. I try to love Christ. I've told my husband that I love Christ more than him, which is fine because he loves Christ more than me. We try to love Christ more. We go to Church not just to be good, but because we want to learn about G-d (Father, Son, & Spirit) so we can know how to love him.